On Thursday, all of Philadelphia exploded when the Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a hard-to-believe 13-year, $330 million contract that will make him a fixture in the City of Brotherly Love through 2031.
It is a monster deal that, with no salary cap, is only possible in baseball. Manny Machado, a star 26-year-old third baseman, signed a 10-year, $300 million contract a few weeks ago, and recently Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado signed an 8-year, $260 million extension. MLB teams can do this because, other than a luxury tax that acts as a soft cap, they can spend whatever they want for however many years they want.